Last year, the A-51 measured in at 40 Mtbr Lux. This year, the A-51 comes out at 51 Lux so that’s a pretty healthy increase. The similarly priced X-51 measured at 71 Lux. So the question is why would you get this light instead of the X-51. Well this has a wider beam pattern but the real answer is this is a good complement to the X-51 which is narrower and throws farther. If you’re only getting one light, the X-51 is best. But if you’ve got the budget for a dual light system, the A-51 mates perfectly with the X-51.

Strengths:

good battery and charger for the price and upgrade paths are available

CNC’d head unit is A+

bar mount and helmet mount are excellent

helment mount crash detach feature is a good safety feature

US made and US supported.

wide beam pattern complements the X-51 or the F-1 well

Weaknesses:

Not as powerful as the new XML based X-51

ultra long wires are not ideal

Summary:

We spent hours talking to David on the phone and many months testing his lights.Some of the highlights we’ve noticed are:

Lights are designed and manufactured in the USA

Casing is CNC’d to the highest standards to be durable and to have the best heat dissipation

LEDs and boards are optimized to transfer heat efficiently to the casing and protect the LED

Electronics protect the LED from overheating

Batteries are tested and the best available are used.

Handlebar mount is quick release and can hold two light heads. Adaptors may be available to mount a Gopro or Contour camera in the future.

Helmet mount features a breakaway design to protect the rider’s neck in the event of a crash.

Charges are well designed and extremely safe. They optimize safety of the user and long life of the battery.

So what’s not to like? It’s US made, well designed by a company that knows their stuff and backs up the product for years to come. Jet Lites, based in Reno Nevada is conservative about making claims about their products and they always try to ensure their customers are taken care of. They’re very active in the local mountain biking scene too as they support local groups, events and festivals.

So is the light any good? That’s where mtbr comes in. We’ve ridden this light and the predecessor A-51 for many miles. The design is solid as the light is robust and the mount is one of the best.

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